TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu backs Pawan, asks Telangana leaders to focus on ‘constructive political culture’

Vijayawada: Strongly backing Jana Sena chief and deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday opposed the remarks made by some political leaders in Telangana against the former.Noting that such comments were “inappropriate” and could create unnecessary tension between people of the two Telugu states, Naidu said Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have been separate states for nearly 12 years and there was no need for political leaders to make statements that could fuel regional sentiments and hostility.Pawan had planned to hold a public meeting in Hyderabad on June 2, coinciding with Telangana state formation day. However, the Telangana govt denied permission for the meeting, following which Jana Sena went to Telangana high court which granted permission. Pawan then held a media conference at his residence in Hyderabad where he made some comments, inviting angry reactions from Telangana leaders -- both from Congress and BRS.“It is not a good practice to make such remarks against Pawan Kalyan. Unnecessary issues should not be created through irresponsible comments. The two states were divided 12 years ago, and some leaders in Telangana should not now try to provoke divisions or create animosity,” Naidu said, adding that people are well aware of the contributions made by leaders and individuals from different regions and “do not need lessons from politicians attempting to raise regional issues for political gain”.He pointed out that political leaders frequently campaign outside their home states and that such participation is a normal feature of democratic politics. Referring to his visit to Tamil Nadu for election campaigning, he said leaders from across India, including Congress leader and Karnataka chief minister DK Shivakumar, participated in the campaign there. “Telangana has both Congress and BRS. The BRS even launched its activities in Andhra Pradesh after declaring itself a national party and spoke about expanding to other states. I do not understand why some leaders are now making such statements. This is not correct,” he said.Naidu also highlighted the achievements of Telugu people across the world, noting that many were holding constitutional and leadership positions in countries such as the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. “Telugu people are occupying important positions across the world and serving under the constitutional frameworks of those countries. Leadership is determined by service to the people, not by regional identity. Those who serve people effectively emerge as leaders wherever they are,” he added.Calling for a “constructive political culture”, he urged leaders to compete in the fields of development and public service rather than engage in divisive rhetoric. “The focus should be on delivering better governance and providing improved services to the people,” he opined.